How A Pickup Basketball Game at Discovery Day Contributed to a Franchise Slam Dunk

It took franchisee Matt Keyser two years to find a franchise brand that compelled him to sign on the dotted line. A unique offering and an exceptionally immersive Discovery Day affirmed his decision to franchise with PickUp USA. 

Based in California, PickUp USA is a basketball franchise that provides a safe pickup game space for the sport’s enthusiasts—complete with referees. Both men and women, as well as children as young as 5 years of age, can play. 

Keyser’s PickUp USA franchise will be located in Madison Heights, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, and is slated to open before the end of the year. 

Keyser, who currently works as the Chief Operating Officer at a personal injury law firm, has been passionate about basketball his entire life. He played on his high school basketball team and participated in an intramural basketball league in college. As a sports enthusiast, he knew he wanted to invest in a sports-related business venture. 

“I was exploring other franchises related to the sports industry for years,” he said. “Nothing really sparked my interest.” That is, until he discovered PickUp USA. Impressed by what he saw as a great idea, he reached out to president and founder Jordan Meinster. 

“After my first conversation with Jordan, I knew 100% this was the franchise for me,” Keyser said. “It was something that no other company is doing at all. Fitness is such a fast-growing industry right now, so organized pickup basketball with referees was just a perfect fit because basketball is a passion of mine and my family’s.” 

He and his wife headed West to attend PickUp USA’s Discovery Day in May.

“I was already so excited to meet the guys and learn more about the brand, so Discovery Day was an amazing experience for us,” he said, adding that the opportunity allowed him and his wife “to see the culture of PickUp USA.”

One of the best aspects of Discovery Day for Keyser was being able to get the full client experience. During a lunch break, he saw that pickup games were going on and asked if he could join. Keyser noted that public basketball pickup games can often take a long time due to a great deal of arguing about foul calls, waiting to play and so forth. 

“I couldn’t believe how great it was,” he said. “Having the referees there kept the game really smooth. There was no arguing at all about the foul or travel calls, and after 10 minutes, the game was over, I got a great workout and the next team got up.” 

Keyser noted that PickUp USA games last 10 minutes and that the referees keep the game moving, so it never really slows down. Winning teams get to stay on the court and losing teams can take comfort in knowing they can soon play again without even having to leave the gym, he said. 

“I got to experience what I’m going to be talking to my clients about, which was great because there are not too many other franchises that you can visit and experience everything the client does.”

Keyser also appreciated meeting with PickUp USA executive team members and learning more about the brand. 

“Jordan and his team were great,” Keyser said. “They went over all the information about the company and answered all the questions my wife and I had. They introduced us to a couple of vendors, too, which was great. It was an amazing experience and really set the tone moving forward.”

Keyser, who described himself as “a suit-and-tie guy at work,” noted that he was encouraged to dress comfortably for Discovery Day. He decided to wear basketball shorts and basketball shoes and a gym shirt. 

Keyser also had a chance to speak to PickUp USA clients at Discovery Day. The most common praise they had for the brand was that it provided a safe environment for pickup basketball games. Since PickUp USA spaces also have onsite fitness centers in addition to basketball courts, players can still exercise while waiting for their next game to start. 

One of the “coolest” things Keyser saw on Discovery Day was group training. The brand hires certified basketball trainers who hold group training sessions every day, which are free for members. The trainer sets up four different training stations—shooting and dribbling, for instance—and members rotate through. 

“Kids and adults both do this and it’s just amazing,” Keyser said. “When I was there, I saw about 20 kids attend a training session and they were so excited.” 

Ultimately, meeting the brand’s leadership and experiencing the PickUp USA culture from the eyes of its clients made for a well-rounded Discovery Day experience, and one that solidified Keyser’s interest in the brand. 

“Those are the things that really set the tone for a successful Discovery Day,” Keyser said.